PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a light heavyweight MMA rules bout between Yoshihiro Yawara (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rick Rude (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Yawara's entrance music is Beethoven Virus by BanYa. A fine choice. Rick Rude told me before the fight that he's been watching a lot of DVDs so let's see if that helps him in this one! I can't wait to find out!

Yawara
vs
Rude

187 cm
18
205 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

189 cm
22
210 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Big heart

BJJ White Belt
Counter striker
Very confident

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the light heavyweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Yoshihiro Yawara!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Tokyo, Rick Rude!
The judges for this bout are Shirou Masuda, Yukihiro Yamamoto and Yuuki Gou.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
The sound of bone on bone echoes around the arena as Rude checks a leg kick.

Yawara rushes Rude and presses him up against the cage.

Rude breaks from the clinch.
Rude keeps the fight on the outside.
Yawara lands with a thumping leg kick.
Yawara shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Rude moves out of range of the strikes.
Yawara tries to shoot in for a takedown. He's got hold of a leg but Rude swivels and escapes.
Rude stuffs the takedown attempt from Yawara. Yawara gets slowly back to his feet.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Yawara. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Rude tries to clinch but Yawara moves away
and Yawara counters with a stiff right hand.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yawara shoots for a takedown but Rude saw that one coming a mile off and avoided it easily.

Rude forces Yawara back against the cage and clinches.
Rude with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.
A knee to the head by Rude.
Rude scores with a knee to the head.

Yawara is rocked!

Rude breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Oh Yawara is still all over the place! His legs are completely gone! Will he be able to recover?!!
Rick Rude is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Yawara shoots in with a takedown attempt and he has Rude pinned against the cage. Rude gets the underhooks and manages to circle away.
Yawara seems to have got his legs back now.
Yawara misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Rude.
Yawara throws a head kick but Rude moves out of range.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Yawara misses with a head kick.
Both fighters are looking to counter, which isn't making for the most exciting fight in the world.
Yawara is breathing heavily.
Yawara misses with a takedown attempt - Rude sprawls well and throws a nice strike on the way out which just misses.
Rude is looking to clinch but Yawara is avoiding it.
Rude tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Yawara tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.

Rude clinches up with Yawara and pushes him back against the cage.
Rude tries to land a knee to the head but Yawara blocks with his arms.
The referee calls for Rude to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Rude managing to block the knees to the body from Yawara.
Rude stalling the fight.
Rude connects with a nasty looking knee right to Yawara's face.
Rude prevents the takedown attempt.
Yawara throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Rude blocks it with crossed arms.

Rude breaks the clinch.
Rude doesn't manage to clinch there - Yawara circles away.
Yawara throws a push kick but Rude slaps the foot to one side.
Rude lands a body shot.

Rude darts in and clinches Yawara up against the cage.
Yawara is looking to break free of the clinch but Rude has double underhooks.
Rude scores with a knee to the head.
Rude looking to throw knees to the head but Yawara is blocking nicely.

Rude breaks the clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Yawara throws a sloppy head kick and Rude moves out of range easily.
Yawara throws and low kick but Rude moves out of range easily.
Rude moves out of range as Yawara throws a body kick.
Rude fails in his attempt to clinch.
Rude tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
Rude darts in trying to clinch
and Yawara counters with a left to the body.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Rude dominated that round.
The minute break is over - no more time for sponges and pep talks - back to the action!

Yawara tries to keep at a distance but Rude has taken the fight into the clinch.
Rude landing knees to the head.
Yawara tries to stall but Rude uses the opportunity to gain a better position.
Yawara goes for a takedown attempt but Rude pushes him away and we're back to fighting at a distance.

Rude moves into the clinch.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Rude manages to break the clinch.
Rude darts in trying to clinch
and Yawara counters with a slapping leg kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Yawara tries to clinch but Rude moves away

and Rude counters by moving into the clinch.
Both guys are working to get underhooks.
A bit of stalling here from Rude.
The crowd are getting on Rude's back here. They're not happy about his lack of aggression in the clinch.
Rude connects with a nasty looking knee right to Yawara's face.
Rude with a knee to the head.
Rude using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Yawara has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rude prevents Yawara from breaking the clinch.
Rude throws a knee to the head but misses.

Rude breaks from the clinch.
A head kick by Yawara misses
and Rude counters with a head kick.
Rude tries to clinch there but Yawara circles away.
Yawara closes the distance but Rude moves to the side

and Rude counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Some stalling of biblical proportions here from Rude.
Rude with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Yawara has Rude pressed up against the cage and is working for takedown. Rude manages to improve position though and keeps the fight standing.
Rude just leaning against Yawara, taking a breather.
Rude is breathing heavily.

Yawara pulls guard successfully.
Rude postures up.
Yawara manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

Yawara jumps to the side looking to secure the arm triangle…. Ooooh, that looks tight… Rude is gargling but he's managed to escape! Nice work there by Rude and Yawara has given up the dominant position trying to land that submission.
Rude is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Yawara asserts his dominance and retains side control.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Yawara tries to move to mount but Rude blocks the move with his legs.

Yawara tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.

Yawara tries for a kimura but Rude is defending well.
Rude is working hard to escape and get back to his feet. After a battle for position, Yawara asserts his dominance and retains side control.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Yawara working the ground and pound but he's contacting the mat, not the fighter.
Rude prevents Yawara from improving position.

Yawara tries for a kimura but Rude is defending well.

Yawara wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rude, who protects the arm well.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rick Rude showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin! Let's hear some noise people - this is the final round!

A head kick by Yawara misses

and Rude holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Rude landing knees to the head.
Rude tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
Yawara drops down looking for an ankle pick but Rude pulls his leg out and moves away.
Rude keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Yawara on the wrong end of a kick to the body.
Yawara fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Yoshihiro Yawara. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Rude takes the fight into the clinch.
Rude connects with a nasty looking knee right to Yawara's face.
Rude crunches a lovely knee into Yawara's ribcage.
Rude misses with a knee strike.
Yawara misses the knee to the body. Nice hip positioning from Rude.
Yawara is trying to maintain a safe position but Rude gets an underhook and turns Yawara into the cage.
Yawara using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Rude has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Rude is stalling here. The referee will be looking to step in if he doesn't pick up the pace.
Rude using the Thai clinch to land knees to the body.
Knees in the clinch landing for Rude.

Rude breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Yawara throws a series of punches but Rude avoids them all with ease.
Rude looks to clinch

and Yawara counters with a takedown into side control.
Rude is pushing Yawara's head away, looking to escape. Yawara manages to hold on to the position though.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Yawara wants to work for a kimura but he's foiled early by Rude, who protects the arm well.

Yawara is looking for a kimura. He might have it! No, Rude has escaped the position, nice work there.

Yawara tries for a kimura. Not really close to a finish though.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Yawara wants to lay and pray for a moment but Rude keeps working.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Yawara tries for an arm triangle. That looks pretty tight to me. Is this one over!?! Possibly, maybe, no Yawara has let go of the choke. Obviously it wasn't as tight as we thought!
Yawara tries to land with some ground and pound but misses.
Yawara is looking to take a break and control but Rude is keeping him honest, looking to work from the bottom.
Yawara works to advance to full mount. Rude defends for a few seconds but eventually he succumbs.
Yawara wants to control the action but instead Rude gets a body lock and reverses into Yawara's guard! Nice work!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

Yawara throwing his legs up looking for a triangle.

Yawara working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Rude doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Rude manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.

Rude stands up and waves to Yawara to follow him.
Yawara tries to clinch but Rude moves away

and Rude counters by clinching up.
Rude wants to get back to striking at distance but Yawara won't allow it.
Rude on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
Yoshihiro Yawara has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Yawara throws a knee to the head but misses.
Rude using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Yawara has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Yoshihiro Yawara.
I think Rude has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Shirou Masuda scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yukihiro Yamamoto scores the fight 28:29
Judge Yuuki Gou scores the fight 27:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Rick Rude!